Member Reviews
A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Well written and engaging, kept my attention all the way through. Well developed characters and a good amount of mystery, I enjoyed it.
“Inside, the body of a man was laid to rest on the cobbled ground”
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That line hooked me for sure!
The Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum is the 8th installment in the museum murders by Jim Eldridge detailing the adventures of the “museum detectives” Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. They assist Scotland Yard (much to their chagrin) in solving a murder of a curator of the brand new Victoria and Albert Museum.
Along the way, various suspects are posed. Who wanted Mr. Page killed? And why?
The book was full of a lot of fun twists and turns and the end result was a bit of a surprise. I enjoyed the book and it was a quick, easy, entertaining read.
Thank you to Allison & Busby publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
When you read a Jim Eldridge book you will learn something new. For example, I had no idea about the history of the sprawling Victoria and Albert Museum and no very little about the Boer War. However, I never really connected with the story or with Daniel and Abigail. In this book, the couple are tasked by Queen Victoria to discover who killed a curator at the construction site of the V&A Museum, much to the displeasure of the head of Scotland Yard and Special Branch. There was so much going on with the plot that it felt choppy and the characters weren't fleshed out. I like Eldridge's Hotel Mysteries, which are set in WWII, but this book didn't work for me.
Thanks to Allison & Busby and Net Galley for this ARC. Another great edition to this series. I was worried the series had ended but i'm so happy its continuing. Not sure which series is the best this or the hotel detective but looking forward to many more in both.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. I do enjoy the Museum Detectives and Coburg series, so was excited to dive into a new book. This one sees a murder at the soon-to-be V&A Museum, and Queen Victoria request the newly married Wiltons’ help in solving the murder quietly. Before long, there’s a second murder, but are the two linked?
I did really enjoy this, as always - there was a little bit of info dumping exposition at the start, more showing the author’s knowledge and research than naturally something someone would say in conversation. But it then settled down into a well thought out plot. A few others have mentioned Armstrong being a bit implausible in his behaviour (his hate of the Wiltons, racing to beat them even if it means not properly checking the suspect and arresting the wrong man) - it’s one of those things you just suspend a certain amount of disbelief over, and move on. I think I’d find it annoying in other books, but something I can almost overlook here.
Overall, a solid 4 star good addition to an enjoyable series!
As well written as usual with the character's now married and a most complex double mystery that may or may not be connected and Queen Victoria popping in for cameo appearances what more could you want. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have a deep fondness of Victorian mysteries, especially when the detectives are a couple. So I was excited to read this book which was an introduction for me to this series about a couple who investigate mysteries that take place at famous museums. I was ready to go buy the earlier books and read those. In other words, I am the target audience for this series.
However, I was just disappointed in the story. The couple, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, run around interviewing a lot of people and there are a lot of interesting historical details dropped in. But the mystery just didn’t grab me and Danial and Abigail just didn’t have much of a personality. The Scotland Yard leaders seem a bit cartoonish in their desire to rush through a conviction just so they can win a race against the famous Museum Detectives. Everything gets solved rather easily despite dragging in for bits throughout the book. I don’t think I’ll be paying to buy the earlier books, but I’d probably check them out for free from a library.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
1899, British-imperialism, South Africa, private-investigators, archaeologist, ex-cop, law-enforcement, friction, friendship, Boer-conflict, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, royalty, due-diligence, murder, murder-investigation, museum, egoist*****
I have read some of the others in series, but I believe that this one, too, can easily stand alone.
Abigail Fenton is an archaeologist who even explored the tombs in Egypt with Flinders-Petrie but is now working as a private enquiry agent with her partner, Daniel Wilson who is a former Scotland Yard detective. Together they are known as the Museum Detectives because of the past cases they have solved.
Queen Victoria wants them to be on the case, but Chief Superintendent Armstrong of Scotland Yard doesn't want them involved. Too bad. While investigating, they find suspicions of one man, but the CS goes ahead with charges and publicity only to be embarrassed when the man is proven innocent. And so, the suspects pile up! Another fine mystery!
I requested and received a digital ARC of this book from Allison & Busby via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This is the eighth book in the Museum Mysteries, and a great addition to the series. Abigail and Daniel Wilson are now living in a house with indoor bathroom. They get a message from Buckingham Palace asking them to to an audience with Queen Victoria. Of course they go and meet with Sir Anthony Thurrington. The foundation stone has just been laid for the new Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington. However, that morning, Mr. Page, a curator of the current Kensington Museum was found next to the stone with his throat cut. The Queen would like the Wilson's to solve the murder without a lot of publicity for the museum.
From the beginning, Chief Superintendent Armstrong of Scotland Yard wants to be the one to solve the case. However, the Wilsons gradually find several suspects including another curator, Oakley, who is very upset that Page was in charge of German ceramics when ceramics was Oakley's specialty, as well as the guard who found the body whose daughter had dated Mr. Page. When they go to see Page's widow, she doesn't seem very upset, and her German brother, Kurtz, is visiting, making two more suspects. The commander of Special Branch tells them to stay away from Kurtz.
However, they also find that Mr. Page had been rather promiscuous. Besides the guard's daughter, he also went out with a woman with whom the Crown Prince went out. When they went to talk with the Crown Prince he didn't know about Mr. Page, but they found his Secretary to be very protective of the Prince, and he did know. They also begin to think about the possibility of Page blackmailing someone, possibly about financial mishandling. Soon after they ask about financial things at the museum, Mr. Tweed is found hanging from his stair rails. How are the two killings related? Will the Wilsons be able to solve both murders with out getting killed themselves?
This is a very good Victorian mystery with a clever plot.
Our favourite characters are back with another enjoyable romp! This time they’re at the V & A museum, so the book also features celebrity guest, Queen Victoria. This feels like a slightly different direction than the usual stories in the series as it also features espionage and diplomats, however it’s still well written, and keeps the reader guessing until the end. 10/10
Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum by Jim Eldridge
Mr and Mrs Wilson, the Museum Detectives, are hired by the Queen to look into a murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Queen is desperate to avoid Albert's name being besmirched by any wrongdoing. A dead body has been discovered by the found stone of the museum and is that of one of the Museum's curators. Queen Victoria wants the museum detectives to investigate sensitively to avoid any scurrilous news in the papers.
This is a gentle and easy to read novel and the characters are entertaining. This is a worthwhile addition to the series.
Many thanks to the publishers, Jim Eldridge and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed the look into the aging Queen Victoria’s household and the behind-the-scenes look at the building of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Readers who strive to solve the mystery before the detective(s) will really be challenged by the many red-herrings and complex list of motives and suspects.
As an historical mystery fan who reads to gain a strong sense of period and place, the complex plot was somewhat lost on me, but my major disappointment in this novel was that I never gained much sense of who the protagonists really were. . . And virtually none of what they looked like. I dont recall reading one sentence with the physical description of the main characters. . . And, i wanted to be able to visualize them.
This book had some interesting period detail, but neither the setting or characters really came to life for me.
In what is probably their most complex case to date the Museum Detectives are called in to investigate a murder at the V&A. Their discoveries lead to a chain of events that they are no longer in control of. Plenty of action, intrigue and mystery surrounds the case which touches on fraud, politics and royalty. There is plenty of period detail giving the book authenticity and believable characters. Whilst this book is part of a series it could easily be read as a standalone.
I enjoy the writings of Jim Eldgridge and have sought out his other series which are equally as distinctive as the Museum Detectives.
So excited to discover this is one of a series as I loved the writing style, the setting, the characters and the clever way two parallel mysteries were presented. Highly recommended.
Museum Mysteries, a series by Jim Eldridge, is one of my go-to reads. Each new title that comes out feels like a bit of a vacation to me. The books read quickly, the characters are engaging, and the mystery solutions take some real thinking. The mysteries are set in London during the reign of Queen Victoria, a period I'm particularly fond of when it comes to historical mysteries.
This volume is interesting in that the narrative includes two murders, which may or may not be connected, making Daniel and Abigail (the central characters) unsure of the number of culprits they're seeking. Several characters have engaged in unscrupulous activities of one sort of another, so no one can be quickly removed from the list of suspects. Add in tensions between our detective pair, Scotland Yard, and government departments. There are no dull moments in this title.
If you need a mystery-based "vacation," and like historical mysteries, this title should do the trick!
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
As always Jim eldridge doesn't fail to disappoint, love the museum detectives and have followed a few of their mysterys, love the setting and as always the characters including her Majesty this time, could not put this book down until I found out who dun it!
Brilliant writing as always can't wait to read more from the wonderful Jim
I have read all the titles in this series and reading Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum was a bit like visiting old friends. I enjoyed the book but not quite as much as the others in the series. I do not want to give anything away but the plot seems to wander off with the reader hit with whiplash at the end.
Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum is the eighth book in the Museum Mysteries series. In this mystery, Daniel and Abigail Wilson are commissioned by Queen Victoria to get to the bottom of a death at the site of her dear Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I was intrigued by the description so I thought I’d give it a try. Overall I found this to be an okay book, it was well written and clearly well researched, maybe too much at times. I really enjoyed the characters of Daniel and Abigail, but the book drug on for me and at points I felt like the mystery was lost. Just because I couldn’t fully get into it, doesn’t mean this wasn’t a good book. I think anyone who is into mysteries with a lot of history will be drawn to this book and really enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!